Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an embarrassing and often debilitating medical condition. It can be a true nightmare. Irritable bowel is caused my stress and anxiety, which upsets the stomach, intestines, and colon. A person with IBS may be affected by a number of things such as daily stress, work, a feeling of being overwhelmed, fear, and more. IBS can not be cured but it can be treated and eventually subdued.

I had been living with irritable bowel syndrome all of my life but I only found out when I turned 19. I should've seen it clear as day, even without knowing about the condition. But I thought that what I was going through just couldn't be helped and I was some sort of freak, like it was almost my fault and my own doing. As a child I would often get intestinal aches, especially in big places like video stores or department stores with huge selections. It overwhelmed me and cramped me right up. The worst days with my pains were during any Final Exam or standardized test in school. I would cramp up like my intestines were in knots. It was excruciating and I would sweat buckets and have to keep putting my head on my desk and wait for it to pass. The pain wouldn't pass for good until the test was over or I went to the bathroom. Later on my symptoms lessoned for the most part but I would still say that I frequently had problems. Even a good form of excitement like going to an amusement park or going swimming while on vacation would become a trigger. I could be happy and excited and the next thing I knew I was cramping up. I never really told anybody because I didn't know anything could be done. The people that I did tell just thought that I was a hypochondriac. My cramps would be intensified because I hated going to the bathroom and only had bowel movements once a week. It hurt and probably damaged my body.